Introduction

How should we approach the problem of addiction? I make no apologies for using the term ‘problem’ because social workers will inevitably deal with people who have developed problems due to addiction. In seeking to understand the power inherent in political rhetoric and how this might influence attitude, this chapter will explore one of the main sites of debate when tackling the above question. This debate largely centres on the bifurcation between zero-tolerance and harm-reduction approaches.

What is addiction?

The term ‘rewarding behaviour’ offers insight into the reasons why people begin to engage in a particular behaviour. The rewards can be in the form of the pursuit of a pleasant feeling or the masking of an unpleasant feeling. A problematic addiction can impact on the life of the person addicted to the extent they start to neglect themselves, their responsibilities and the significant people in their life. Therefore we can see the need for social workers to consider not only the addicted person but also those who are around that person.

There are many activities that one can become addicted to, such as gambling, eating/not eating and even seemingly healthy pursuits such as exercise. For the purposes of this chapter I will focus on drug and substance use, including the use of alcohol. The problem of addiction and how to address it is a phenomenon that is bound with political values rather than political allegiances; therefore it crosses party-political boundaries. This chapter will consider the political development of zero-tolerance and harm-reduction, with a focus on values.

Values

All of us have a relationship with drugs and alcohol. Some of us use substances, some drink alcohol and some do both. Equally, many people do not use drugs and/or alcohol and they will have their reasons for this. These reasons define the basis of our relationship with use and non-use and are mostly driven by the values we wish to abide by.